The Wagons Circling at Night!!!

At night the wagons stop and go in a big circle called a wagon circle. It was made to keep people safe from deadly weather, wild animals, Indians, bandits, and traitors. The front of one wagon would face the back of another wagon. After dinner and before bedtime the parents would go inside dance, sing, and play the fiddle, and tell stories around the campfire. Children couldn't go out side of the circle, or they could get lost, die, captured, or attacked by wild animals or Indians. The men would take turns guarding the wagon to see if enemies would try to to come in and steal animals or things. Also adults had meetings at night while the kids were sleeping in the wagon to plan for the next day and talk out problems that might have happened on the trail. These meeting made them feel like a big family.Jackson B.